Honestly, i think that's the only way the women approach their views though.
Whether it has to do with what their religion permits or what their political afiliations are.

08-05-2006, 05:23 PM

Veruka

Quote:

Originally Posted by prhoshay

I guess I don't understand how you separate the two.

Perhaps Regis and Kelly can give them some tips.

08-06-2006, 01:20 AM

rt1ky

Quote:

Originally Posted by prhoshay

I guess I don't understand how you separate the two.

I agree with Veruka. I think it is sad that so many Americans have narrowed their viewpoints on life based on what goes on in the election booth. During the early seasons of the show, politics played less of a role.

I find it easy to separate my political views from my opinions on many things. Maybe it's because I'm a moderate. I think both sides have good ideas and lousy ideas. I also think both sides have their fair share of liars, cheaters and dirtbags. I don't mix my faith with politics. I believe that God wants his followers to minister to lost souls to help them get into heaven, not to follow the Pharisees' path and use whatever legal means possible to exclude undesirables and create a pseudo-heaven here on earth.

I think the show's ratings decline and our discussions here show that even if it is unconsciously, people are getting tired of the partisan debate. We have abandoned the idea of thinking for ourselves and looking at the facts through one of the many "views" we could all take, be it as a parent, married, single, old, young, middle-age... to make our own decisions.

We want to be told what to think and who to align ourselves with and we want talk-show hosts who agree with us. We don't want to be challenged to look at the world differently and :confused maybe understand why everyone else doesn't feel the same way we do about everything. IMO, that's really sad.

I think if the show continues to define itself and Hot Topics as purely a political debate the show will end up like Crossfire and be cancelled.

08-06-2006, 01:44 AM

Dogg

Quote:

I agree with Veruka. I think it is sad that so many Americans have narrowed their viewpoints on life based on what goes on in the election booth.

cosign ^

i personally have no affiliation with any political party and have my own
personal opinions on things.

people are stoopid followers on both sides...

anyways... 1 month or so till the explosion

soon as queen rosie hits the set first day... it won't take but 1 minute and a half before she starts with her bush war criminal hate gays spiel and then her and elisabeth start fighting...

that will be great tv... probably the best ratings since star got booted

08-06-2006, 11:22 AM

fluff

I think the political views of the panel have become more of an issue since Elisabeth came onboard.
I'm not blaming her, obviously she is entitled to her opinion.
I feel that because her opinion is so removed in most instances from the panelists that were already in place, her comments wind up really polarising the discussions and in turn make the others use increasingly extreme examples to underline that her view is very black and white.
With the plan B argument for example, Barbara could have asked whether Elisabeth felt any woman should be forced to deliver a baby that was conceived as a result of rape.
She went further though and used a 12 year old rape victim in her hypothetical scenario.

That combined with Elisabeth's shocking inability to verbalise her opinons in an appropriate manner in the face of disagreement makes her a very poor fit for the panel imo.
I can't see the situation being improved upon when Rosie takes her seat because she is even furhter apart from Elisabeth than Joy and Barbara are.

08-06-2006, 01:29 PM

GabbyG

Quote:

Originally Posted by rt1ky

<snip> I find it easy to separate my political views from my opinions on many things. <snip> I think both sides have good ideas and lousy ideas. I also think both sides have their fair share of liars, cheaters and dirtbags. <snip>

<big snip>

me too, I am not a one issue voter.

Also, Fluff is right on the mark when saying that it is Elizabeth's inability to "verbalise her opinons in an appropriate manner in the face of disagreement" (shrill would be my word for her) that make her a bad fit for the group. I would love to see a group discuss these issues without the editoralizing, and believe that it can be done.

I hope they can find a good replacement for Star and that Barbara can go back to being there only ocassionally, she is, in my opinion, a better interviewer than she is a participant.

08-06-2006, 01:38 PM

Veruka

Quote:

Originally Posted by fluff

I think the political views of the panel have become more of an issue since Elisabeth came onboard.
I'm not blaming her, obviously she is entitled to her opinion.
I feel that because her opinion is so removed in most instances from the panelists that were already in place, her comments wind up really polarising the discussions and in turn make the others use increasingly extreme examples to underline that her view is very black and white.
With the plan B argument for example, Barbara could have asked whether Elisabeth felt any woman should be forced to deliver a baby that was conceived as a result of rape.
She went further though and used a 12 year old rape victim in her hypothetical scenario.

That combined with Elisabeth's shocking inability to verbalise her opinons in an appropriate manner in the face of disagreement makes her a very poor fit for the panel imo.
I can't see the situation being improved upon when Rosie takes her seat because she is even furhter apart from Elisabeth than Joy and Barbara are.

I would agree that the show has gotten more of a political focus since Elizabeth joined. But I question whether that is because of Elizabeth, or a sign of the times. Elizabeth joined the show in 2002 - not too long after we got a very strong illustration of just how divided the country is politically. If you look at culture in general pre-2000 election and post-2000 election, I think that political issues/views have come more and more into play. For a comparison, when The West Wing debuted, it was simply seen as a show that took place in the White House. However, when Commander-in-Chief debuted, it was seen as Hollywood's attempt to sell the country on a women president. There are many movies which all the sudden, if you go to see or choose not to see, you're somehow making a political statement. Musical artists sell or don't sell albums based on political views they express ... even when the music itself isn't political at all. We've got this perception of having liberal newscasts, and conservative newscasts. People are demanding that everyone pick a side, declare it, and not change it. I tend to think that regardless of who would have joined The View when Lisa Ling left, the tone would have become more political.

I also don't think that the only way to overcome this is to snap our fingers and turn everyone into a moderate. Anyone who reads any of the current events threads knows quite well that I am staunchly conservative. I don't think there is any way on this earth that I could be painted as a moderate. While my views are rather firm, and politics / government is an obsession of mine, I don't think that politics infiltrates every single aspect of my life. I make friends based on common interests - not political affiliation. There are entertainers viewed as liberal who I adore and admire, and shows / songs that are conservative that I can't stand. I don't apply a litmus test to every encounter in life, expecting everyone to fall in line with my beliefs. I choose to enjoy differing points of view rather than being offended by them. I don't expect everyone in this world to think like me. I respect well-thought out opinions, regardless of whether or not they match mine.

08-06-2006, 04:06 PM

candor

Well said, Veruka. The View is reflecting the nation's tenor. It reminds me of the late 1960s and early '70s when everything was political. Problem is, partisan spats like those on The View -- or more significantly, those on cable news shows -- aren't advancing our understanding one whit, and in fact are dividing the nation even more. I'd be happy if they took 80 percent of the opinionmongers off the airwaves.

08-06-2006, 05:55 PM

rt1ky

Quote:

Originally Posted by Veruka

I also don't think that the only way to overcome this is to snap our fingers and turn everyone into a moderate. Anyone who reads any of the current events threads knows quite well that I am staunchly conservative. I don't think there is any way on this earth that I could be painted as a moderate. While my views are rather firm, and politics / government is an obsession of mine, I don't think that politics infiltrates every single aspect of my life. I make friends based on common interests - not political affiliation. There are entertainers viewed as liberal who I adore and admire, and shows / songs that are conservative that I can't stand. I don't apply a litmus test to every encounter in life, expecting everyone to fall in line with my beliefs. I choose to enjoy differing points of view rather than being offended by them. I don't expect everyone in this world to think like me. I respect well-thought out opinions, regardless of whether or not they match mine.

I don't think everyone has to be a moderate for things to be better. But I do agree that more people should be able to put their politics on the shelf for a bit and avoid using a litmus test for everything. Maybe we need more Verukas who can think apart from the party talking points, who don't take things personally when people don't agree and are willing to have a civilized, inside-voice discussion about things. :) I would imagine that we have more in common than we think we do.